Margaret Hamilton received a 1939 Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for what role in the film The Wizard of Oz ?

Margaret Hamilton's portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of the most iconic villain performances in cinema history. The American Film Institute ranked her character as Hollywood's fourth-greatest villain of all time and the all-time greatest female villain. Hamilton was a former kindergarten teacher from Cleveland, Ohio, who turned to acting full-time in the 1930s.

The role came at a physical cost. During filming on December 23, 1938, Hamilton suffered second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hand during a pyrotechnic sequence for her fiery exit from Munchkinland. She spent six weeks recovering before returning to complete the film. Her green copper-based makeup was toxic, and she could only consume liquids on set through a straw to avoid ingesting it.

Despite the cultural impact of her performance, Hamilton was not actually nominated for an Academy Award for the role. The 1939 Oscar race is remembered for being one of the most competitive years in Hollywood history, dominated by Gone with the Wind. However, her work left an indelible mark on popular culture, introducing the concept of a green-skinned witch that would later inspire Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked and its blockbuster stage musical adaptation.

Hamilton embraced the role throughout her life, appearing on Sesame Street in 1976 as the Wicked Witch, though the episode was shelved after test audiences of children found it too frightening. She remained active in film, television, and theater for five decades, but it is her cackling, broomstick-riding witch that endures as her lasting legacy.